Car washing installation

ABSTRACT

An arch-type car washing installation having spraying nozzles which are directed normally inwardly and towards the entrance of the arch and which are pivoted, as the car passes through the arch, to a position pointing inwardly and towards the exit of the arch.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Myron M. Gusse [56] References Cited3 &4 W b H ht UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 S 1 682 902 9/1928 Gibson 134/45 1N 223%,; 3,196,888 7/1965 Rousseau 134 45 [21] P 1 3,310,824 3/1967 BeerIS/(CCP) [221 Ned SePt'171968 3 349 783 10/1967 Ell 134/45 Patented Jan.26 1971 1s [4 Continl;afi0n in pan of application Ser No 3,421,169 1/1969 Hergonson 134/45X 591,480N0v' 2, 1962. 3,428,982 2/1969 Beer15/(CCP) OTHER REFERENCES ULTRA-SPRAY, U.S. Car Wash Equipment Corp.7/27/67. pp. 1 & 5. (copy in Group 367). Primary Examiner-Robert L.Bleutge Attorneys-John W. Michael, Gerrit D. Foster, Bayard H.

Michael, Paul R. Puerner, Joseph A. Gemignani, Andrew 0. [54] CARWASHING INSTALLATION Ritens and Spencer B. Mlchael 7 Claims, 5 DrawingFigs.

[52] US. Cl 134/45, ABSTRACT: An arch-type car washing installationhaving 134/181 spraying nozzles which are directed normally inwardly and[51] Int. Cl B60s 3/04 towards the entrance of the arch and which arepivoted, as the [50] Field of Search 134/45, car passes through thearch, to a position pointing inwardly and towards the exit of the arch.

123; l5/(CCP Digest); 134/181 1 CAR WASHING INSTALLATION CROSSREFERENCES This application is a continuation-in-part of our applicationentitled, ROTARY NOZZLE BRACKET," Ser. No. 591,480, filed Nov. 2, 1962,which is directed to the rotating clusters of nozzles which aredisclosed in the present application. This application is also copendingwith our application entitled AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE TOP SPRAY- INGUNIT FOR CAR WASHING INSTALLATIONS, Ser. No. 729,670, filed May 16,1968, which is directed to the top follower mechanism which is disclosedin the present application.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The field of invention pertains to automatic carwashing installations and particularly to mechanisms which are adaptedto change the direction of the washing spray during the washing cycle.

In almost all presently used car washing installations a car is movedthrough several spraying arches which are provided with spraying nozzlesat the top and at both inside faces of the arch. The one disadvantage inusing arches of this type is that the spray is directed from the sidesand the top of the arch and, therefore, does not provide as effectivewashing action on the frontal and rear surfaces of the car as isprovided on the top and side surfaces. Because of this characteristic ofthe arch-type car washing installations, fairly extensive manual laborhas been required to clean the frontal and rear surfaces of the car.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The essence of the present invention resides indirecting the washing spray towards the car as it approaches the archand in changing the direction of spray as the car passes through thearch so that the spray is directed towards the sides of the car as itpasses through the arch and towards the rear surface of the car as itleaves the arch. This result is attained by providing several rotatingclusters of nonles at each side of the arch and by biasing the clustersto a partially forwardly facing position, and by providing appropriatefollower members which will come in contact with the car as it passesthrough the arch and will swing the clusters to a partially rearwardlyfacing position. The follower members are so designed that theywill'maintain the nozzles in the latter position for a time period afterthe car has passed through the arch so that the rear surface of the carmay ,receive a sufficient amount of washing action by the rotatingclusters of nozzles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carwashing arch embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective'fragmentary view of the left-handnozzle-carrying panel;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional top plan view of one leg of the arch showingthe nozzle-carrying panel in its normal partially forwardly facingposition;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the car washing installation showing a carentering an arch embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a car leaving theinstallation.

The major components of an arch embodying the present invention are bestshown in FIG. I. The arch is of standard design and is provided with atop follower mechanism 12 and two side panels 14, 14. The top followerand the side panels are provided with clusters of nozzles 16 which arerotated by associated motor and chain means, 18 and 20, in a knownmanner. At least some of the nozzles 22 are directed slightly outwardlyin respect to the axis of rotation of their respective cluster so as toassure some overlapping with the spray from the adjacent cluster. Thetop follower 12 is described in detail in our copending application Ser.No. 729,670v It is designed to follow thc top contour of the car whichpasses through the arch. The top follower may incorporate a simpleparallelo gram linkage, comprised of links 24 and 26, which function tomaintain a constant distance between the nozzles and the top surface ofthe car. If desired, the top follower may incorporate a control (notshown) by means of which a cylinder 27 can be actuated to lengthen link26 and thus tilt the nozzle carrying member 28 towards a car whichapproaches the arch, and to shorten link 26 as the car leaves the archto thereby tilt the carrying member 28 towards the rear of the car.

Each of the side panels is pivotally mounted within the side columns 29of the'arch and is biased towards a partial frontwardly facing positionby a spring 30. In this position each rotating cluster of nozzlesproduces a whirling spray which is directed towards the front of orentrance to the arch. As a car approaches the arch the whirling spray ofeach of the clusters will impinge on the grill and other frontalsurfaces of the car when the car is a considerable distance away fromthe entrance to the arch. This type of washing action will continueuntil the car will have advanced to the position shown in FIG. 4. Atthat point the car will engage the follower arms 32, and upon furtheradvance, will pivot the panels to the partially rearwardly facingposition shown in FIG. 5.

The panels will remain in the latter position throughout the passage ofthe car through the arch. During this time the whirling spray will, ofcourse, impinge upon the side surfaces of the car. As the car leaves thearch the panels will remain in the partially rearwardly facing positionuntil the follower members 32 have cleared the car. Since the followersremain in contact with the car after it has passed through the arch, thepanels will remain in the partially rearwardly facing position for asufficiently long time to cause the whirling spray to properly wash therear bumper and trunk surfaces of the car. As the car proceeds further,the followers clear the car and the panels are moved by the springs backto their original partially forwardly facing position.

Although but a single embodiment of the present invention has beenillustrated and described. it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that various changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the inven tion or from the scope of theappended claims.

Iclaim:

I. A car washing installation adapted to apply liquid spray to a car asit passes through the installation, comprising:

spray means positioned adjacent the path of the car through the washinginstallation; said spray means including nozzle means by means of whichliquid spray may be directed to the car to be washed;

means normally maintaining said nozzle means in a first position inwhich said nozzle means produce a spray which is directed towards saidpath and forwardly (towards the car entering the installation) inrespect to the installation in order to cause the spray to impinge onthe frontal surfaces of the car as it approaches the installation; and

sensing means connected to said spray means and responsive to thepassage of the car through the installation to change the position ofsaid nozzle means to a second position in which said nozzle meansproduce a spray which is directed towards said path and rearwardly(towards the back of the car-as it leaves the installation) in respectto the installation in order to cause the spray to impinge on the rearsurfaces of the car as it leaves the installation.

2. A car washing installation according to claim 1 wherein said sensingmeans is comprised of follower means which partially projects into saidpath and which is engaged by the car as it enters the installation andis moved to thereby move said nozzle means to said second position asthe car passes through the installation.

3. A car washing installation according to claim 2 wherein said followermeans remains in engagement with the car for a time period after the carhas passed through the installation to thereby retain said nozzle meansin said second position for such time period.

4. A car washing installation according to claim 3 wherein said spraymeans includes a nozzle carrying member which is pivotally connected toa fixed member of the installation, and wherein said carrying member ispivoted to move said nozzle means from said first to said secondposition as said follower member is engaged and moved by the car passingthrough the installation.

5. A car washing installation according to claim 4 wherein said noulecarrying member is normally maintained in a partially forwardly facingposition by spring means and wherein said follower means is a leverwhich intercepts the car as it enters the installation, and which ismoved by the car (as it passes through the installation) to cause saidcarrying member to pivot to a partially rearwardly facing directionv 6.A car washing installation according to claim 5 wherein said nozzlemeans is comprised ofa plurality of clusters of n07.- zles and motormeans for rotating said clusters.

7. A car washing installation according to claim 6 wherein each of saidclusters contains at least some nozzles which are directed at anoutwardly facing angle in respect to the axis of rotation of thecluster.

1. A car washing installation adapted to apply liquid spray to a car asit passes through the installation, comprising: spray means positionedadjacent the path of the car through the washing installation; saidspray means including nozzle means by means of which liquid spray may bedirected to the car to be washed; means normally maintaining said nozzlemeans in a first position in which said nozzle means produce a spraywhich is directed towards said path and forwardly (towards the carentering the installation) in respect to the installation in order tocause the spray to impinge on the frontal surfaces of the car as itapproaches the installatIon; and sensing means connected to said spraymeans and responsive to the passage of the car through the installationto change the position of said nozzle means to a second position inwhich said nozzle means produce a spray which is directed towards saidpath and rearwardly (towards the back of the car as it leaves theinstallation) in respect to the installation in order to cause the sprayto impinge on the rear surfaces of the car as it leaves theinstallation.
 2. A car washing installation according to claim 1 whereinsaid sensing means is comprised of follower means which partiallyprojects into said path and which is engaged by the car as it enters theinstallation and is moved to thereby move said nozzle means to saidsecond position as the car passes through the installation.
 3. A carwashing installation according to claim 2 wherein said follower meansremains in engagement with the car for a time period after the car haspassed through the installation to thereby retain said nozzle means insaid second position for such time period.
 4. A car washing installationaccording to claim 3 wherein said spray means includes a nozzle carryingmember which is pivotally connected to a fixed member of theinstallation, and wherein said carrying member is pivoted to move saidnozzle means from said first to said second position as said followermember is engaged and moved by the car passing through the installation.5. A car washing installation according to claim 4 wherein said nozzlecarrying member is normally maintained in a partially forwardly facingposition by spring means and wherein said follower means is a leverwhich intercepts the car as it enters the installation, and which ismoved by the car (as it passes through the installation) to cause saidcarrying member to pivot to a partially rearwardly facing direction. 6.A car washing installation according to claim 5 wherein said nozzlemeans is comprised of a plurality of clusters of nozzles and motor meansfor rotating said clusters.
 7. A car washing installation according toclaim 6 wherein each of said clusters contains at least some nozzleswhich are directed at an outwardly facing angle in respect to the axisof rotation of the cluster.